Pump.



H. H. HARMON. PUMP.

APPLICATION rILED 0012.23.1913.

1,1 16,269. Patented No1/.3, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHBET L Vac u www @MMM/Kw 35 H. H. HARMON.

PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. 1911K.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEWS'SHFRI 9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON H. HARMON. OF CLOVIS. NEW MEXICO.

PUMP.

'E .t t6,269.

Application le [0 all 10km/Lit may concert/i.'

Re it known that I, HAnRrsoN H. HAR- uoN. a citizen of the nited States, residing at Clovis, in the county of Curry and Tilt-ate of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lunips: and l do declare the following. to be a. full, ele-ar, and exact description o the invention, such as will enable others l skilied in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invent-ion relates to pumps, and more Aespecially to those wherein water is elevated by compressed air; and the object of the same is to lift water from great depth 'ith a minimum amount of power. This is accomplished by dividing the total lift into sections and lifting each section by itself independently of any other section-hence the amount of power required for the total lift deigiends upon the length of each section.

A further object of the invention is to provide means'for preventing the interruption of the action of this pump through the sticking of the float as hereinafter described. These objects are carried out by the mechanism set forth in the following specification and elaiins, and shown in the drawings wherein-- Figure l a 'lo longitudinal sectional view showing .the air system in diagram: is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section of the uppermost pair of active and idle compartments Figs. il. Si. are seetionl details on the lines tl -Ily lim-l and 5i 5 respectively of Fig. 2.

ln the drawings the nunazral l designates a large pipe or easing. preferably having a screen or strainer 2 at its lower end which 40 we will assume is submerged within the water in a well. and the Casing has an outlet Il near its upper end. At suitable and preferably regular interyals throughout the length of the casing it is divided by transverse partitions l into compartments or chambers and (i. the former being what I will call the aetive" compartments and the latter the "idle" compartments for a rl'ason which will appear below. Secure se through each partition and hanging from the saine is a tube section 7 having an upa wardly opening check valve 8 in its upper i Specification of Letters Yatent.

d October 23,

lowermost partition screen or strainer ya, hole through by a eh the check valve in the tube ithe trappi l each pipe section, but t Patented Nov. 3. '1914'.

1913. Serial No. 796,904.

end, and just below this valve the tube sec* tion-especially if it be one located within an active compartmentds provided with an outwardly opening relief valve il. The l stands just above the.

and provided with its center, normally closed eck valve S like the rest. The lower each tube section stands a little above section below as shown. In the casing and opening into the idle compartments are outwardly open-l ing spring-closed relief valves l0. l may here say that these relief valves prevent the trapping ol air in the top of each eonipart ment whereas the relief ,valves 9 prevent, 'ng of air in the upper end of his will be made clear end of below.

Passing down throughout thel length of the casing and through each of the partitions across the same, is an air pressure pipe ll hose lower end l2 opens into the lowei most active compartment 5i below the partition which forms the head of the same. and within each of the other l etive compartments 5 an elbow l2 comilleteifl with the pipe l1 and opens downwardly into the same`r the elbow being provided with a rotar)v valve l which when turned for oneo uarter el a rotation will close the same to the admission of air. The upper end of the pipe l2 is connected with a compressed air tank ll wherein pressure 4s generated other device indiby means of a pump or cated at l5, and the details of these elements and therefore they are are uniinl'iortant `shown diagralnmatically only.

Passing down tl'iroughout th the casing and preferably site the air-pressure pipe tion pipe 2l whose lower end 9:2 opens into the lowermost act-ive compartment 5 and whose body is provided with elbows opening downward into the upper portion of each active compartment as shown. and each provided with a rotary valve Q3 disposed directly opposite the rotary valve 13 above described. Suction is created within this pipe through a vacuum tank Q4 by a, pump or other suitable mechanism 2.5 whose details of construction are not necessary to e length of at a point oppoll is an a1r-su2- describe und which therefore are shown milf.' diaigrumundiallli'. Stop cocks 2G und :.T :ire located u'ithin the vacuum or suction .pipe 2l, und similar cocks 16 and 17 in the pressure pipe 1l; and these two pipes ure connected by :1 cross pipe i8 heving in it u stop cock 28 for u, purpose yet to zippeur. ller zig'uin the details of eonstruction :ire not essential. I might say `@lso :it this point that with the exception of those features in this specification whose details are amplified, the specific construetion of parts ns well ns their proportions und materiels ure not essential to the successful operution of this invention.-

li'ii'hiu euch active compartment ai rock shaft connects the stems of the two valves lll und 23, and intermediate these vulves it passes through the tube section 7 wherein it hes an erm 3l carrying a float 32 Whose sin is less than the interior of said tube so that the passage of water therethrough will not be impeded. The valves at opposite 'ends of this rock shaft are set quartering to each other, und their disposition with reference to the float is such that when the hitter falls it.,will open the suction pipe und close the pressure pipe, and vice versa.

The operation of this pump as far as has been described is as follows: Assuming that the lower end of the casing is submerged below the water line end that water flows in through the eci-een or strainer 2 and rises through the lower check valve 8 into the lowermost active compartment 5', as the water rises Within the lowermost pipe seetion (as permitted by the relief valve 9 1n the side of the same) the float. rises until the vulve 1.3 near the lower extremity l2 of the air pressure pipe 1l is opened and the conespending valve 23 in the suction pipe is cloned. Air pressure admitted through the pipe 1l now Hows into the lowermost active compartment 5 and immediately closes` the cheek valve S; then pressing on the water mithin this compartment sind Outside the lube sections 7 it Vforces the water up, past the float und the cheek valve at the head of this tube section, und into the idle compartment o above. When the liquid has been driven into Said idle compartment, the Hout ie no loneer sustained by its buoyancy :ind drops ol its; own weight, thereby closing the ruhe 123 and shutting ed the nir pressure, und simultuneousl` opening the mire 23 and cfmnertii g the lowermoet compartment Si" with the vacuum or suction pipe 2l. The result that instead ot' pressure `within this` c;munirtnient, the suine ie now subjected .o :i pui-tial rficuuui. end water is drawn in through the, hmm-most check relive S' und the strainer te replenish what hee been forced up into `the next compartment. l find 'from experiments made that some of the charge aloe goes directly into the second active compartment, caused no doubt by the fact that there is a partial. vacuum in the lowermost idle as well ns in the second active compartment, and that as soon as the Second l active compartment has discharged into the second idle compartment, any water that stands higher than the bottom end of the tube in the idle compartment will flow up- Vwurd into the said Second active compartment, caused by the ressure of nir trapped in the top of said .id e comlimrtment. Each relief valve l0 is to be adjusted so as to allow :my surplus nir or air above a certain pressure to escape, depending on the pressure in air pipe ll. As the second charge of water enters the lowermost compartment 5 and rises within its tube section, the operation above described is repented and the valve in the Suction pipe 2l is closed while that in the pressure pipe l1 is opened. This action is repeated at points higher and higher throughout the casing, each active compartment drawing the charge of water from the compartment beneath and forcing it throughout its own length and upward into und through the idle compartment next above, Where it can be reached by the suction in the active compartment yet farther above. Therefore it will be apparent that the air pressure and the air vacuum need only he carried to n point suflicient to handle the charge in one compartment or at most in tivo compurtnients, und d pump composed ot u. train of Said compurtmente would lift water through an indefinito distance dependent onlyy on the strength of parts.

It sometimes occurs that for one reason or mother the loat may become stuck or one of its valves may Work :i little stiff, and the result is that if this defect is not corrected the entire system is put out 'lf use becet it is prncticaliy impossibleexcept in vc'y large sized pumpsnfor :in operator to descend through the easing and make repairs. In order, therefore, to provide means whereby this ditliculty muy be overcome without disrupting the parte of tln.pu1up, I ineke use of the following details: At points within the suction pipe 2l j ust above its elbows QQ I provide branches 40 whole lower ends are open und project,downwardly beneath the partitions which form the heads of these compartments, vln euch brunch is located n small piston fl] which under ordinary conditions is held rnised againstu stop such is :i erosie piu 42, und therefore which piston .when this pump is working is idle. From the piston u rod 43 projects downward out the lower end of the branch 4() and carries at its lower end a cross head All which muv he in the shape of u. frame 45. The latter is of sufficient size to surround :i crank 46 which formed in theme11' shaft 30, and the dis,

position of parts is such that the cross head never contacts with this crank when the pis-- t0n is raised and the pai ts are performing their natural functions. If now the float should become stuck at a high point, the crank at this time is elevated but not to its highest extent. The operator by mani pulat ing the various stop cocks in the air pipes and in the cross pipe connecting thcin, may shunt or switch the compressed air into the suction pipe 21 so that the latter instead of heilig a vacuum pipe, now becomes an air pressure pipe. The air rushing lown this pipe passes out the branch 40 and depressies the piston Lil, which through its rod and cross head gives an impulse to the crank 46 on the rock shaft 30, and the float is started downward within the tube section T. lumiediately the operator reverses tl e positions of the Yarious stop cocks whereas thc dropping of the float reverses thc positionsl of the rvalves 13 und and the machine resuine@ its operation as above described. lt is true the inrush of compressed air lo and through the suc-tion pipe E21 will actu-.ite all the pistons, but no harm is donc to the cranks on the rock shafts of such tloats as are not stuck. or is there a serious inter ruption to the operation of thel pump. hecause the volume of air admitted through the pipe 2l, which otherwise would lic a suction pipe, is inni i inial and hardly more than a putt sullcicut to start thc crank 46 downward. and the. weight of the [lout will do the rest. Vl lind by experience that the floats will rarelyif ever stick at their lowest position-dug no doubt` to the fact that the upward rush of water through the pipe sections prevents.

lVliat is claimed as new is:

l. ln a pumjn the combination with an upright casing divided by transverse par titious into a series of ciimpairments. anal :i downwardly closing cherie valve in each partition; of two air pipes pa' s intr through the length of .said casing and having oppo, sift-lv ilisposed elbows opening into cvea'v other crnipartment leaving thc .iltcrnntc couijiartincnts idle, moans for cretini; air pressure in one pipe and suction in the other, valves in said elbows, a, roi-it shaft to which said valves are connected so that when one is closed the other is opened. and a lout connecte-l wih said roel; shaft for turning the latter bv the risc. of water. for the purpose set forth.

Si. ln a pump. the combination wili an upright Q sing having ay series4 of transverse partitions dividing it into compaiiincnttf. a

tube section hanging from cach parir-.ionn and an upwardly opening check valve in the upper ends of each tube section; of two air pipes passing through the length of said casing and having elbows at opposite sides i i l l l l i, i l l l of said tube section, rotary valves in Said elbows, a. rock shaft connecting the stems of said valves and passing through said tube section, a float Within. the latter connected with said rock shaft, and means fdr creating air pressure in one pipe and suction in the other, for the purpose set forth.

3. ln a. pump, the combination with an upright casing having a series of transverse partitions dividing it into compartments, and a tube section hanging from'each partition, each section having an outwardly opening relief valve just beneath the partition which sustains it; of two pipes passing through the length of said easing and hav ing elbows at opposite sides of said tube section, rotary valves in said elbows, a rock shaft connecting the stems of said valves in such manner that when one is open the other is closed, an arni projecting from said shaft within the tube section, a float connected with said arm` and means for creating pressure in one pipe and suction in the other, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a pump, the combination with an upright casing having a series of transverse partitions dividing it into compartments, and a tube section hanging from each partition; of 4two pipes passing through the length of said casing and having oppositely disposed elbows at opposite sides of said tube section, means for creating pressure in one pipe and suction in the. other, rotary valves in said elbows, a rock shaft connecting the valves in such manner that when one is open the other is closed, said rock shaft having an elbow within its length, an arm projecting from this shaft within the pipe section, a float connected with said arm, a second elbow projecting from the suction pipe., a piston movablv mounted within the upright arm of this elbow, and a cross head connected with said piston and standing above the crank on the rock shaft, for the purpose set forth.

5, In a pump, the combination with an upright casing havingy a series of transverse partitions dividing it into compartments, and a tube section hanging from each partition; of two air pipes passing through the length of said casing and having oppositely disposedr elbows at opposite sides of said tube section, rotary valves in said elbows, a rock shaft connecting the valves in such manner that when one is open the other is closed, said rock shaft having an elbow within its length, an arm projecting from this shaft within the pipe section, a float connected with said arm, a branch leading from the suction pipe adjacent each of its elbows and having its lower end standing above the crank in said rock shaft and open, a stop within said branch, a piston slidably mounted in the branch beneath the stop, a

l my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- I n om: zipe :md snvton in the oiiher, 'for the Il Tit-messes:

HCSSQS- www Set. forth. J. R. HULL, n tazetlmony Wimeu I .mw hen-unto set A. CHENWORTH. 

